Sunday, July 8, 2012

Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa

Tunneled into the bedrock during the age of the Antonine emperors (2nd century AD), the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa ("Mound of shards") are located in Alexandria, Egypt and considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

The Necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funeral cult. Because of the time period, many of the features of the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa merge Roman, Greek and Egyptian styles.

According to lore the Hall of Caracalla is a mass burial chamber for the humans and animals massacred by order of the most notorious Roman Emperor Caracalla (188-217).